Strategies, tips, how to's and best practices for online video publishers

When I decided to create a Pocket Video Marketing course some people said to me “What is there to learn? You just hit the record button, it’s simple!” Wrong! A Pocket Video Camera is a powerful communications tool, it’s more than just hitting the record button and shooting yourself against a white wall in your box room.

You can easily make bad Videos that look and sound bad or drag on to long or are devoid of creativity. But making good Videos is a skill that I think every Marketer should have as part of their Marketing toolbox.

A quote I love is this: “It’s not about the Bow and Arrow, it’s about the archer” (Andy Jenkins – The Video Boss). It doesn’t matter what camera you’ve got if you have great ideas and some technical skills, you can make better Videos than 99% of the planet and good Videos will get your products noticed.

So with that in mind here are 3 ways I think you could use your Flip, Kodak, Iphone4 etc. to boost your Marketing efforts.
1. Come out from behind the powerpoint.

If you’ve watched any of the recent Big Internet launches the common thread is you see the Marketer on screen. People connect with people and Video does a brilliant job at
building a bond with your prospects.

I’ve just viewed a new Jeff Walker launch Video. If you follow Internet Marketing you’ll know Jeff’s multi-million dollar earner Product Launch Formula. The first Video was almost entirely real world footage. What I mean by that is you saw him at a whiteboard and then it cut to an on camera interview where he was sat next to one of his successful students talking about how much he had earned from his own launches.

There was nothing in the Video that couldn’t have been done on a Pocket Video Camera and it was much more engaging than a back to back Camtasia presentation.

Don’t get me wrong I think screencasting is very powerful I just think that breaking it up with real world footage is a great way to engage your buyers even more. Put it this way the Big Marketers test like crazy and they wouldn’t go for the ‘on camera’ route if it didn’t work for them.

You don’t need a lot of gear to make these Videos look great, in fact over on my training course page you can see footage that I shot with a Flip camera in a tiny room in my house with lights that cost around £100 a pair!

2. Be a Pocket Video Paparazzi!

Take your Pocket Video Camera everywhere. You never know when you will spot something extraordinary. If you do then it could prove a hit on YouTube and you can link it back to your most relevant product. I also advise people to get into the habit of filming their business and personal life. So if you give talks stick the camera on a tripod and get some shots of your presentation to an audience. If you are making good money on the Internet and spend your weekends on your shiny new sailing boat (!) film that.

Build up a library of clips and you can use these to make a Video where you show your prospects proof of what you do and how your success effects your lifestyle.

If you go to events in your niche, shoot on the fly interviews with participants, upload to facebook, friend your interviewee and use the Video ‘tag’ function to highlight that they feature in the Video. This means the Video will also appear on their wall and get seen by their friends which exposes your brand to new eyeballs.

If you target an interviewee that runs a blog even better. You’ll often find that they will embed the Video in their blog too, as it’s so quick and easy for them to do so and beats writing a long post.

3. Get creative with customer testimonials.

We all know the power of Customer testimonials, but if you want to take them to the next level offer you audience alternative angles. So say you have a customer, Jane who bought your Marketing product and is happy to record a Video testimonial for you, break it into shorter clips.

For example Jane on: “How the product helped me get organised”, “How the product or service made boosted my buisness”, “Why the Webinars were so valuable”. That way you get extra Videos for your YouTube channel and you give visitors to your site a sense of control over the content. Another plus is you avoid making an overlong 10 minute video where you try to pack everything into a single clip.

Even better, go the extra mile and show footage of how Jane has benefited from your product on camera to edit over the interview clips. If we get to know Jane more through Video we’ll trust her judgement even more.

So let’s see Jane working away at home whilst being able to keep her eye on her baby and winning extra clients all at the same time. That way your Video will stand out from the average customer testimonial and your viewers will stick with the clip right to the end.

These are just 3 tips but I hope you can see how powerful your Pocket Video Camera can be. I’ve no doubt, if used well, you can repay the cost if buying it many times over.

The Flip has been the popular choice for an inexpensive handheld video camera for several years, and its reputation is deserved. The camera is so simple to operate that I’ve seen a preschooler operate it correctly the first time she picked it up, so it’s perfect for beginners. The latest generation has improved video quality and image stabilization, and larger memory options. The obvious downside to the Flip is that its memory is predetermined and unchangeable. Previous versions of the camera ran on AA batteries, but the newer models use a proprietary built-in battery, which can be problematic if you’re out working for a full day. If you choose to go with the Flip, remember that it’s best for interviews at close-range in reasonably quiet environments or b-roll in which distinct dialogue isn’t necessary. It has no external microphone connection, and the built-in mic won’t give the best results if you’re trying to interview someone in, say, a noisy convention hall. (There is an aftermarket mic for the Flip that does add a microphone jack.)

Pros:

Probably the easiest video camera to use out of the box

Cons:

No external microphone input, so sound gets muddy if you’re shooting from a distance

Fixed memory allotment

Requires computer with internet connection to transmit

Kodak Zi8

Price: $100 – $150

The Zi8 is Kodak’s answer to the Flip, but it comes with a few particularly useful upgrades. First, the memory inthe Zi8 is upgradable SDHC. So, if you need more recording time as you get more advanced, you can just get a bigger card. The Zi8 also features a mic input, which is rare for cameras in this class. So, with the addition of an inexpensive lavalier mic, you can capture decent interview audio in noisier environments. The proprietary rechargable battery is also an issue with these cameras.

Pros:

Expandable memory using SDHC card

External microphone jack

Cons:

Requires computer with internet connection to transmit

Smart phones with video capabilities

Price: Varies widely, $100 (with a contract) to $400 or more

If you’re willing to shell out the monthly data fees and upfront costs, there are some great smart phones on the market for shooting video. Various iPhone, Android, Windows and Blackberry models shoot HD video that is perfectly suitable for the web. You may run into audio issues for these too, but there are aftermarket solutions for many models. The real downsides to using for smart phones to shoot video are storage space, cost and battery life, but the ability to shoot, edit and transmit video on-the-fly is invaluable for breaking news. Be careful about getting the biggest possible data plan if you’re planning to use your phone as your main video-gathering and transmitting tool.

Pros:

No need to carry an extra piece of equipment

Limited editing and transmission on the go

Cons:

Limited memory

Requires generous (and often expensive) monthly data plan

Shooting can drain your battery quickly

A few other quick tips for using any of these options in the field:

Invest in a tripod. Getting the tilt and wobble out of your video is key to keeping a viewer’s attention on your story.

Go toward the light. Shoot outside or in well-lighted rooms. None of these cheaper camera options perform particularly well in low light situations.

Focus on audio. As I’m sure you’ve noticed, good sound is essential to good video. Even if you’re shooting a simple interview, making sure people can hear the questions and answers clearly should be a primary concern.

About the Author

Rebekah Monson is the Business Community Manager for the Sun Sentinel in Fort Lauderdale, FL. Follow her on Twitter as @RebekahMonson.

This post covers the basic tips for shooting video interviews. There are a few golden rules to follow to achieve good results and better looking and sounding video. The specific areas you should focus on are: Camera placement and movement, Lighting and Audio. Also, knowing your location and having plenty of time to reduce distractions is particularly important, to advert any audio and video issues. It’s better to get it right when you shoot your interview, to save yourself from “fixing it in post”. The following presentation serves as a tutorial to help you get started.